


what if we ruin it all, and we love like fools

by sirensongs (orphan_account)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Hogwarts, Hogwarts AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-17
Updated: 2013-06-17
Packaged: 2017-12-15 06:17:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/846268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/sirensongs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is a charismatic Gryffindor and Louis is an insecure Slytherin who sees something beautiful in the curly headed lion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	what if we ruin it all, and we love like fools

**Author's Note:**

> this just literally happened and bam! it's a thing and i reaaaaally hope you enjoy it. i love hogwarts so much and i intend to write lots of hogwarts au and if you guys like this one i can do some sequels or whatever ^^  
> and you can check me out on tumblr at http://sugarandstyles.tumblr.com ♡

Louis decides that Harry smells of fresh blossoming tulips and violets and lemon verbena and it’s a lovely combination, sure, but he doesn’t understand why he knows this about Harry or why it keeps popping up in his mind.  
  
Every day Harry studies by the loch and he has those stupid curls that fall over his face as he’s shaded by a tree and his nose is pointed into a book. That’s just how Harry is, though, really. He’s a stupid attractive boy who makes Louis question way too many things. How is he supposed to cope with this, honestly?  
  
And when Harry’s not in his robes he’s wearing a snug little flannel and chinos or a tight hoodie and he looks like a proper student and it’s adorable and it’s hard for Louis to process why he cares so much because this is _Harry Styles_ who seriously is just not the boy for Louis and it’s obvious and it’s painful because he shouldn’t want Harry like this. He really shouldn’t.  
  
Harry’s best friends Liam and Niall are brilliant like him and they’re all Gryffindors and they seem like great kids, really intelligent and brave just like Gryffindors should be but they’re also a problem because Harry’s always with them and so it’s not like he and Louis can become friends anyway, not like they have any sort of chance at all.  
  
It might have all started one day in Charms during Year One that Harry asks Louis for help, and that’s weird because, sure, the Second Wizarding War was supposed to erase the stigma of Gryffindor-Slytherin friendships but it might have just eternalized it, really. And so Harry asks Louis, all adorable pouty pink lips and batted eye lashes, as he waves his wand up toward something that isn’t there.  
  
“Haven’t had any luck, myself.”  Harry sighs, “Have you got it?”  
  
“It’s not that difficult,” Louis says and he can’t quite help the arrogant strum of his voice. “You have to swish and flick. And you have to say it just right, focus on the ‘O’.” Louis flicked his wand at the feather before him and grinned to Harry as he showed the boy. “ _Wingardium Leviosa,_ ” and with that his little feather was rising up and up and up among the other students’.  
  
Harry grinned to Louis, “Wow, that’s amazing!”  
  
“Now you’ve got to try,” Louis pointed out, letting his feather fall slowly back to its beginning point.  
  
“ _Wingardium Leviosa,_ ” Harry swished and flicked and he watched, amazed, as the feather lifted lightly before his eyes.  
  
“See you could do it after all,” Louis smiled at Harry and then Harry thanked him before turning around to show Niall and Liam behind him, and so Louis sort of just figured Harry had other friends and he was happy that way so he didn’t push any more conversation during Charms.  
  
Still, the boy was enigmatic and fluffy and adorable and Louis didn’t know anything about anything in First Year except for all the spells he’d read about and some of the things he’d heard from his family. He didn’t know much but he knew Harry Styles was just different and special for some reason and he wouldn’t be able to forget it.  


♡

Harry must be able to see Louis looking, right? Now, fifth year, Louis has found friends in Eleanor and Zayn but it’s a different sort of a feeling that they give him than Harry and his friends. Liam and Niall seem to want Harry to be happy while Eleanor and Zayn just enjoy being friends with the wealthiest Slytherin in their year and they enjoy the vacations his parents buy them and they enjoy the feasts and the clothes and the status.

Louis always looks at Harry, though. He can’t even help it anymore, he just does it. And it’s sort of ironic because Harry is sort of this famous kid in his own sense and he’s been said to have defeated some really dark witches last year who threatened the castle and it’s sort of impressive and it sort of has Louis totally intrigued.

Harry will talk to Louis, sure, he’s a kind fellow and he’s got the charm and the good-looks to be comfortable talking to any and everyone really. He’ll ask him for help in class or he’ll laugh with him at a professor or something (Longbottom, their Herbology teacher, is always blundering and babbling about) but that’s really about it. Louis wants to be friends with Harry, sure, but he just doesn’t really know how to go about it.

Then he gets a sort of stupid idea, actually. It’s one of the worst ideas he’s possibly ever had and he’s regretting it as soon as he’s walking down the corridor in the middle of the night with Eleanor and Zayn behind him and dressed in all black. The stone walls seem riddled with secrets and etched with memories and Louis sort of really loves that about Hogwarts, it’s eclectic and meaningful. He can’t focus on the loveliness of the castle on this evening, though, because his heart is racing and his fists are buried in themselves, clenched and dramatically turning pale.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Zayn cheers in soft whisper, he pats Louis’ shoulder. “What took you so long?”

Louis shrugs simply, hating to admit that he’d only overheard Harry talking about it and so the Midnight Duels seemed like a good way to interact with him outside of the castle. “Dunno just never seemed like much fun but I’ve got so many new spells I’d love to try out.”

Eleanor’s grinning and clapping to herself, “I can’t wait to watch you annihilate some Hufflepuffs.”

Louis wants desperately to tell Eleanor that it’s not about house divisions and he has nothing against Hufflepuffs but instead he just laughs, like he always does, and he practically spits in the faces of Hufflepuffs everywhere as he chuckles. “They’re batty anyway.” And he doesn’t mean it, really, and maybe this is why Harry doesn’t make more of an effort to actually be friends with him because he’s outwardly a total prat.

“Totally,” Eleanor cackles and it’s ringing off the walls. “Or the Gryffindors. Pansies.”

Louis wants to shiver and he sort of wants to punch Eleanor in the face (he never would though but the thought seems lovely) because he sort of loves Gryffindors and he’s sort of jealous that he’s not a Gryffindor. “Swine,” Louis howls, and Eleanor and Zayn are both laughing aloud with him.

Finally they reach the Room of Requirements, which isn’t supposed to be open to students but any students wishing to participate in the Midnight Duel just have to speak with one of the Seventh Years in their house and they’ll be told where to go and what to look for. Louis sees a small frog on the ground and so he points his wand at it, watching, bemused, as sparks fly and the frog flies against the wall and a door is revealed. He doesn’t know why it works but he’s done what he was told to do and it successfully revealed to them the entrance of the Room.

As they push open the door, Louis is startled to see a duel already taking place on the stage (which the Room of Requirements must have kindly provided). A short Hufflepuff with shining dark chocolate hair swings her wand to the left and a Ravenclaw is pulled by her leg across the room and the crowds on either side, filled with many representatives from each house, all howl and hoot and laugh. Louis recognizes the Hufflepuff, Lauren, and claps for her, shouting her name as many others clap and holler. Upon hearing her name she turns back and smiles to Louis, but it is in vein as the Ravenclaw rises from the ground and whips her wand from left to right in a quick, fluid motion. Lauren is sent flying, a shrill howl escaping her lips as she smacks against one of the plump Hufflepuff boys at the edge of the stage. She’s motionless and limp and Louis bites his knuckle, realizing it must’ve been his fault that she was at such an disadvantage.

And then Louis sees Harry. He’s standing up against a wall with Niall and Liam, of course, and they’re sniggering about something—probably Lauren knocking the other boy flat on the ground.

Before Louis can really concentrate on Harry he realizes that Zayn and Eleanor are pushing, no, shoving, him out towards the stage. Then he’s being thrown up the steps and he’s looking back to Eleanor and Zayn. “What the hell?” he asks, because really that’s all he can think to say.

“They were hollering for a Slytherin and a Gryffindor,” Zayn calls. “Go on!”

Eleanor gestures for Louis to go up the steps and so he turns back and as he does he notices a familiar _mop_ of brown curly hair rising on the other side of the steps and he’s being pitted against Harry for a duel and this was _not_ part of the plan in any way shape or form.

Dueling a Gryffindor would be one thing but this is Harry Styles and there’s really no way Louis can let him win, unfortunately. So this is definitely, totally, 100% a bad thing. Louis doesn’t really know how to react but some Hufflepuff is shouting things authoritatively and Harry is drawing his wand and so Louis simply sighs, drawing his own wand as he does so.

Harry bows and so does Louis and then they’re taking the initial steps forward and back and then, suddenly, Harry’s hurtling some ridiculously powerful spell toward him and he just barely blocks it. Louis raises his wand and he wishes immediately it didn’t but the spell escapes his lips: “ _Confringo!”_ And that was stupid in a thousand ways and he realizes it as it’s cast and he hurries over to Harry as soon as it hits him and he’s burned all over his body and he’s howling in pain and people are rushing over to them and people are pushing Louis away and they’re all attending to Harry and then they’re pulling him up and away and the Midnight Duel is over and people are giving Louis awful looks and he feels like crying because he didn’t mean to hurt Harry so terribly.

♡

Louis finds out that Liam took the blame for Harry’s injuries. And it does make sense, he admits, because Liam is really brilliant and he’s always trying new spells and so that’s what he tells Headmistress Smeers (and he doesn’t get into trouble somehow because he says he didn’t even mean to cast it, actually) and Louis feels really bloody awful and he’s wanted to say something to Niall and Liam both but he’s got this stupid habit of putting his pride first and he hates it and he knows it’s wrong but he’s just who he is and he can’t help it (maybe he can, but still) and so he simply decides that the best idea is to visit Harry in the Hospital Wing.

Louis sneaks in during the middle of the night because, again, his stupid pride. He doesn’t really want people to know he’s such a softie. He can’t have people gossiping or anything so he sneaks in and he sees Harry lying there and he smells like Huckleberry and he’s sleeping and he looks so peaceful and adorable. His eyes are shut lightly and his hair is strewn all over his forehead and he’s really just beautiful and Louis is ready to throw up for thinking that.

Though, Louis does know he’s gay and he’ll admit it and he’s even hooked up with a guy once, a Slytherin in his year named Scorpius. But that’s irrelevant now because he’s literally got to restrain from just pressing one soft little kiss to Harry’s perfect lips.

He nudges him, very, very lightly and Harry does this soft little moan and he’s blinking slow and he looks up at Louis and he seems genuinely confused. “Louis Tomlinson?” He asks, his voice is a low croak.

Louis nods, “Hey Harry. How are you feeling?” He doesn’t know if he wants to know the answer unless it’s good news.

“I’ve been better,” Harry admits slowly. “What are you doing here? Come to finish me off?” And Louis shouldn’t think of that in a sexual way but he does for a second and then he snaps back out of it and shakes his head quickly.

“No just the opposite. I wanted to apologize. I really didn’t know that spell very well,” and that’s a lie because Louis really knows just about every spell possible and he’s well trained and it’s just a lie. “Actually that’s a lie. I do know the spell I just didn’t mean to use it, I just get so competitive sometimes it gets the best of me...” And that’s the truth. “That’s the truth,” Louis adds.

“Thanks,” Harry says with a sort of brilliant smile. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it. A few third degree burns just make you more of a man.”

And they chuckle together and the moon is the only thing lighting the entire room. “Why’d you come so late?” Harry asks, sitting up just a little bit and he’s actually wrapped all over his body but Louis sees some sort of cream set by his bed and he’s sure it’s some magical burn remedy and he feels a bit better realizing the wounds will be healed much faster than if they were in the muggle world.

“I just didn’t want to bother you when you were with your friends,” Louis says slowly and he doesn’t know if it sounds like a legit excuse but he tries it. “I just finished my Transfiguration assignment and then I decided I’d come down and see if you were up. And you weren’t, obviously, but I figured one little nudge wouldn’t hurt and then you woke and here we are.” Louis isn’t sure why he’s babbling like a complete and utter idiot but he is and he hopes Harry doesn’t really mind.

There’s silence. A lot of it, Louis thinks, but he isn’t sure because everything seems to be rushing by but it’s slow at the same time like honey dripping from a comb.

“So, Harry...” Louis’ voice is strangled and nervous and he really feels small.

“Yeah?” Harry asks, his voice seems kinda small too.

“Do you think we could be friends?” Louis is struggling because this isn’t like him, not one bit, and usually he’d _never_ ask someone to be his friend but it’s Harry and he just really wants to feel sort of close and he thinks Harry is lovely. “I know I’m an arse and I’m awful and why would you want to be my friend, anyway? But I just thought—”

“Friends,” Harry interrupts, his face stretched out into a preposterous Harry grin. “Definitely friends.”

Louis cheeks resort to flushing into a bright pink and he feels warm inside for some idiotic reason.

♡

Harry and Louis do become friends and that’s amazing and Louis loves it. He thinks maybe Liam and Niall are a bit jealous. Maybe Eleanor and Zayn as well, because he and Harry are escaping together and they’re laughing about all sorts of stupid things and now they study together a bit in the courtyard and they even sit next to each other in some classes that they hadn’t sat together in before. Harry even tells Louis all about the group of dark witches who tried to breach the castle (reason(s) unknown) and how Liam’s brilliance along with Niall’s loyalty and their general luck allowed them to figure out their weaknesses and turn them to stone, which he admits he still feels a bit guilty about but Louis convinces him that it’s okay because they were evil. Harry actually does seem convinced and Louis is entirely impressed by Harry.

“You know what would be loads of fun,” Harry says coolly. They’re sitting beneath a shady tree by the loch and he’s biting down softly on his bottom lip and studying Louis.

Louis perks up, “What?” He hopes maybe Harry would say something like ‘kissing you’ because he’d love for Harry to kiss him but they’re just not there yet and he’s not even sure if Harry likes him in that way, though he does know Harry’s at least bisexual due to his short relationship with a Gryffindor in their year named Albus.

“Let’s go to Hogsmeade.”

“We can’t go without all our mates,” Louis says very pointedly. “You know they’d kill us if we did, Harry.”

Harry’s eyes light up and he’s standing quickly, tugging at Louis and pulling him by his hand. “Come on, live a little! We won’t be seen. We’ll be very sneaky!”

Louis wants to feel guilty but really he just would _love_ to go to Hogsmeade just him and Harry and so he nods, smiling up at Harry and standing with him. “Yeah, all right, let’s go then.” So they stuff their books in each of their respective messenger bags and they’re off, hurrying down the green toward Hogsmeade.

When they arrive it’s luscious and familiar and Louis feels a bit happier than he was ten minutes before just because he smells Butterbeer and candy and he hears the joyous laughter of all the other kids. Hogsmeade used to just be open for weekend trips, before the war, but it’s open all the time now and as long as you’re third year or above and you’ve got parental permission you’re welcome to visit at your leisure.

“Zonko’s!” Harry cheers, dragging Louis’ hand.

Louis pouts, “I’d rather go to Honeydukes, myself.”

“Anything for you, princess,” Harry’s digging and he knows he’s struck gold in the form of Louis’ favorable blush. “Honeydukes is quite lovely anyway, isn’t it?”

“Loveliest,” Louis giggles, following Harry past a crowd of laughing Ravenclaws huddled around some sort of toy from Zonko’s. The very ambiance of Honeydukes drives Louis wild with happiness, it’s like an electric shock but not even—it’s more pure, organic, basic and it hits him more like a wave or a burst of air than anything artificial. The candy is all so awe inspiring and delectable and he is in love with the feeling it gives him.

“This one reminds me of you,” Harry muses, picking up a lollipop with gorgeous pink and blue swirls. A large white bow sits at the base around the wrapper. “Nice and pretty.”

“You twit,” Louis growls, laughing. “And this one reminds me of you,” he picks up a chocolate frogs and shoves it into Harry’s chest, forcing him to accept it.

“Can I get you any candy?” Louis asks as they finally settle down from the laughter and they’re all sloppy smiles and glazed eyes.

Harry frowns, “I wanted to get _you_ candy.”

“I won’t decline,” Louis admits. “If you’re looking for pining you’ve come to the wrong Slytherin.”

“Not at all,” Harry snorts. “No, I’d just like to buy you some candy, Louis.”

So Louis is very pleased with that and, in any normal situation, money wouldn’t be an object to him because it never has been, but he’s seen Harry’s outfits and there’s nothing wrong with them but they’re just not exclusively expensive garments and he doesn’t want to make Harry spend a lot on him so he just picks up a small box of Fizzing Whizbees. “I’d love these. Is that okay?”

Harry nods, his eyes lit and he’s grinning so hard his dimples show. “Sure, and what else?”

Louis shakes his head, “Just these for today.”

“Can I get you one of these?” He’s pointing to a little box of chocolates, some dark with raspberries which catch Louis’ eye.

“No, Harry, it’s all right, I promise! Just the Whizbees will do.” And he’d love the dark chocolate with raspberries but he doesn’t want to seem so greedy or outrageous and he just wants Harry to feel comfortable and all so he declines. But:

“I’m getting them for you,” Harry insists.

“Harry—”

This causes Harry to simply beam, a wide grin growing wider as he picks up the little box and shrugs, “I’m getting them for you, Louis.”

“Thank you,” Louis finally says because he is very appreciative and it means a lot that Harry’s willing to get him candy so he just accepts and smiles.

♡

“Chocolate?” Zayn is amused, he’s cackling.

“Chocolate means _I love you_!” Eleanor is one of those hopeless romantics and so Louis is half concerned that she’s just a fantastical idealist but he’s half hopeful because he figures if anybody knows romance it’s her.

They’re all sitting on a lush, tufted green couch in the Slytherin Common Room, passing the box back and forth. Louis’ already eaten the chocolate but the box itself is quite pretty and pink and striped and he doesn’t want to throw it away.

Zayn is bitter, Louis can tell, because of the fact that he and Harry didn’t invite them to Hogsmeade. Especially because Zayn loves Hogsmeade so much. “Well, he’s got a crush on you, Lou.” And it seems weird for him to say it so matter of factly and without any teasing.

Louis sits, expecting them to make jokes and expecting them to tease him. “Well?” He asks, an eyebrow raised.

“Well,” Eleanor hums. “This is brilliant.”

“Brilliant?” Louis wonders why she chose that word.

Zayn perks up, “Yeah, brilliant. Congratulations, mate.”

“Congratulations?” Louis seems outraged. “Why? Who’s to say I _want_ him to have a crush on me?”

Eleanor sighs, “You’re rotten about keeping your heart eyes to yourself.”

“As is Harry,” Zayn adds.

Louis smiles to them both, trying to remain cool but it’s increasingly hard as he feels the sudden rush of happiness gushing inside of him. “So you think he really likes me?”

“Think?” Eleanor asks, and when Eleanor knows something, when she really _knows_ it, only the strength of a thousand gale winds, hundreds of volcanic eruptions and a great tsunami could even coerce her into _perhaps_ reconsidering her knowledge. Her conviction is like no other. She’s confident and, Louis has to admit, she’s always right. “I know he likes you, Louis.”

It all is happening so fast. It’s only been a week and a half since Louis visited Harry in the Hospital Wing and it was quick that they reveled in each other and it was quick that they realized their humor was one in the same and they realized they fit each other like puzzle pieces.

Harry really just is gorgeous, though, Louis can’t help but want to pinch those perky little cheeks with those flawless little dimples. And he’s got piercing green eyes that sort of bounce around and meet Louis’ eyes in a very serious manner that constantly causes them both to draw breath slowly.

“I do hope so,” Louis mumbles.

This moment is when Louis realizes he might have—definitely—underestimated Eleanor and Zayn as friends. Louis has a slight tendency to generally expect the worst in people and so perhaps it’s that he was just looking for it, or maybe it’s that he made it up, but he realizes that there isn’t much bad in Eleanor or Zayn at all. Sure they are a bit prejudiced and a bit judgmental but most teenagers are, honestly. And they really just are concerned for Louis, he realizes after he carefully begins to analyze the way they’d always been questioning him when he first became friends with Harry. It seemed at the time that they were doubtful of Harry’s intentions or something but Louis sees that they just wanted to be sure Louis was okay.

They’re two really great friends, Louis knows, and he feels instantly guilty for sort of shrugging them off as necessary companions who deserve no appreciation because the more he thinks of his academic and magical successes he realizes how often they’re there to help him.

“You guys are the best,” Louis gushes and he means it. “Seriously, I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

Zayn laughs, “Aw, thanks, man. You’re not too bad yourself.”

“Love you both,” Eleanor smiles, crossing her legs and reaching to the coffee table and pulling her teacup to her lips.

♡

Well Harry and Louis decide they should try and bring their friends together because it’s mean to always exclude them and Louis says he knows his friends will be accepting and fun and Harry says he knows his will too. So they both bring lots of blankets and they find a large clear space of grass at the flat end of a hill and they both bring baskets full of foods and drinks and then Niall and Liam are rushing down from one side of the hill and then Zayn and Eleanor are coming down the other side and it’s sort of weird, sure, because the standard expectation is that if three Slytherins and three Gryffindors are meeting at once it’s for a Triple Duel but it’s really just a picnic to get to know each other.

“Great to see you guys,” Niall announces, he’s already got some apple slices in his mouth as Eleanor and Zayn reach the picnic. It’s not like they’re not all familiar with each other, they know each other from five years of schooling and dozens of classes together  it’s just that they’ve never really hung out or anything, not like this.

They’re sitting, all laughing and exchanging stories about their favorite classes and then Liam is reaching for the peanut butter jar and he’s got a chocolate Cauldron Cake he’s ready to cover in the creamy concoction but his fingers brush Zayn’s, who is also reaching for the peanut butter. Liam looks up to notice that Zayn is also holding a Cauldron Cake.

Louis notices that Zayn seems embarrassed, “Sorry I—”

“Do you.. You like peanut butter on your Cauldron Cakes, too?”

“Love it,” Zayn laughs, he pushes the peanut butter toward Liam. “You first.”

Liam smiles down at the red gingham blanket beneath them and he accepts it. “How weird, I’ve never met anyone else who likes peanut butter with them.”

“Me either,” Zayn admits and Louis thinks Zayn’s trying not to blush because he’s doing that thing where he clenches his jaw and his eyelashes meet quickly in rapid blinks.

Louis decides to distract himself and he’s looking over to Harry, all smiles and a mouth full of cherries. “I can fit more!” Harry declares and Niall and Eleanor are curled over laughing and Harry’s coughing a little as he laughs and finally he’s chomping into the cherries and swallowing them. “You guys made me laugh, that’s no fair.”

The rest of the picnic is perfect and everybody gets along absolutely perfectly and Louis is pretty sure Liam and Zayn get along especially well and they’re both sort of doing the heart-eyed thing, too, and Eleanor mentions it later as they lounge around the common room in their pajamas and so Louis knows that Liam and Zayn have some sort of thing going on and it makes him really happy because he thinks Zayn really deserves someone great.

♡

Louis and Harry are sitting together by the loch, like they do a lot, and they’re discussing the importance of defensive spells, as evidenced by their duel and Harry jokes that it’s harsh of Louis to use that as an example and Louis sighs, admitting it’s brutal but it’s true.

Their conversations are like bubbles just floating around space, really. They seem to jump from idea to idea with no real continuity but neither of them are looking for that and Louis just feels really lucky because he likes Harry a lot and even if Harry doesn’t like him back, he still has a way of making Louis feel sort of special.

“So we’ll just have to see about the whole Diaphanous Druids,” Louis finishes an exasperated sentiment about a new magical development in some Celtic families. He and Harry have been discussing it for about a half hour because it just seems a little fishy and it seems worth talking about to Louis and he thinks maybe Harry isn’t as interested but he listens so well that Louis just loves to babble.

There’s a silent moment as Harry is picking at a little daffodil in the grass. “I’m so glad we became friends.”

“Me too,” Louis admits. “Before we were friends I was convinced I was just an all around awful person. And I’m still sort of convinced of it because I have this stupid, stupid, stupid issue with pride and being a perfectionist and keeping up my image and all these idiotic things but since you I’ve been able to sort of get over a lot of it because you’re such a good person and I must not be that bad if you’ll be friends with me, right?” He’s always talking a lot and in long gusts when it suits him.

Harry frowns, “Louis you’re not an awful person at all.”

“You have to say that,” Louis says with a snigger. “You’re doing your duty as my friend.”

“No,” Harry insists. “No, I’m serious. You’re one of the greatest people I’ve met. You’re self critical, yeah, but you’re also independent and intelligent and you call it pride but I call it resilience and you call it perfectionism but I call it dedication and care. I think you’re brilliant, honestly, that’s why I’m friends with you. Really we should’ve been friends much, much sooner, I just figured I wasn’t really as smart or, I dunno, I just sorta thought you’d have better things to do than hang out with little ole me.”

This causes Louis’ heart to leap and soar and he thinks Harry’s beautiful. Not only is Harry physically breathtaking but his words seem so meaningful. His words are heavy and light and they carry things with them and they are riddled with thought. “You’re too kind to me, Styles. I’ve wanted to be your friend since First Year.”

“And I’ve wanted to be _your_ friend since First Year!” Harry chuckled. “I remember thinking this cute little Slytherin probably just thinks I’m some dopey Lion. Remember, you helped me with Charms?”

Louis nods, “Of course I remember.” But he’s really trying his best not to obsess over what else Harry’s said. He tells himself to just get over it and to not bring it up but it’s just a few seconds and he’s looking into Harry’s eyes with a slight glimmer of hope treading in his own pools of blue. “You thought I was cute?”

He wants to laugh it off but Harry’s not laughing and he’s just doing a little shy smile, looking at his fingers as they pick at the grass between them. “Yeah, of course I think you’re cute.”

“As in you still do?” Louis raises a brow. He’s actually the brightest shade of magenta ever witnessed by another human and his heart is racing, pounding, because he knows this is the kind of conversation that ends friendships sometimes. This kind of conversation makes things too awkward to ever advance or it makes a romantic blossoming occur that’s unlike any other because it’s the bond of friends with a passion between them that rivals nothing.

“I do.” Harry says, his voice is weak. “Is that... I’m sorry...”

“Don’t be sorry,” Louis’ own voice is small but he just tries his best to force it out with dignity and meaning. “I think you’re cute, too, Harry. Always have thought it.”

Then Harry’s eyes are bright, they’re wide and he’s looking at Louis with a grin that’s stupid adorable. “Can I kiss you, Louis?”

In any other situation Louis would think before speaking, he’d consider each meaning and repercussion and he’d try and strategically say the best and most proper thing but in this case he’s dumbstruck and so he just nods, a slow nod that speeds up as Harry’s face glows and then the curly headed boy is inching closer across the grass until their noses are just barely touching. Then Harry’s eyes close and so do Louis’ and he can feel Harry’s soft, flower-like lips pressing up against his. It’s like kissing a daisy and it tastes like bursts of strawberries and it’s delicious and enchanting. Louis’ own shaking lips steady themselves against Harry and he feels Harry’s large, gentle hand against his cheek.

“That okay?” Harry asks slowly as they break apart for a moment and then they’re sitting back, both sort of struck by something and Louis is nodding again, slowly.

“Yes, perfect.” Louis says.

Harry smiles, pressing his lips back to Louis’ and he’s kissing into him and licking at Louis’ lips like it’s something he’s wanted for far too long and it’s beautiful. Louis’ thinks Harry’s lips are the softest things in the world and they’re back in plain sight again as the kiss ends. Louis’ lips are darkened and stained with kissing.

“I like kissing you,” Louis murmurs and it’s really quiet and sincere and it’s difficult for Louis because in general things like this just don’t come easy to him—speaking on his feelings, that whole thing.

Harry seems thrilled, he grins and he grabs Louis’ hand, intertwining their fingers. “I like kissing you more.”

Louis is thankful that Harry is sitting with him, holding his hand and then kissing him again, because he feels like he’s weightless and he feels like he and Harry could float high above the clouds and find golden pillars of love and happiness.

“You’re special, Louis.” Harry says it and if it were anybody else Louis might question the sincerity, might wonder if they mean it. But it’s not anybody else, it’s Harry Styles and Harry means it and he can feel it in his kiss and he can see it in those crisp green eyes.

“Thanks,” Louis says, giggling and avoiding eye contact for a minute. “Harry?”

“Louis?” Harry asks expectantly.

Louis doesn’t know how to word it, doesn’t know what to say or how to ask what he wants to ask. He raises his eyebrows. “I just want you to know that I hope we get to do this for a long, long time.”

“What if we get to do this forever?” Harry suggests, placing a quick kiss to Louis’ lips before beaming. Harry’s face glows an exuberant glow unlike anyone else’s and so Louis can tell in the brightness that is Harry Styles and in the sincerity that is his kiss that he means it and it might be dangerous, sure, but it might be fantastic and it certainly makes Louis bubble up with the most darling form of happiness.

“I’d be very thrilled if we could do this forever,” Louis says, accepting another kiss.

They kiss for a few moments until Harry slips from the kiss, still holding onto Louis’ hand with all he has and he suddenly screws up his face really tight, cocking his head and licking his lips. “You didn’t slip me any Amortentia did you?”

“Oh shut it, you,” Louis laughs, closing the space between he and Harry and he feels like he’s finally found something _right_. He decides that he’s absolutely enamored of the fact that Harry smells exactly of fresh blossoming tulips and violets and lemon verbena and Huckleberry and he absolutely admires each and every dimple and strand of curly hair on Harry’s head and he can’t wait to rush back to the Slytherin Common Room and spill to Zayn and Eleanor and in some weird way he’s thankful that he used the blasting curse against Harry and burned the living daylights out of him because if he hadn’t then he’d never be experiencing the rush of bliss he feels at this exact moment.

The feeling of utter contentment shoots through Louis as they keep kissing and he’s just happy to realize that he’s found someone who wants this all as much as he does and he thinks Harry’s some kind of perfect if there’s any such thing. In a place of such profound magic and vast possibilities Louis wonders if there’s anything more magical than the sparks that fly and fall around he and Harry as they kiss and he thinks that no matter what, as long as he has Harry, all will be well.     

**Author's Note:**

> so hopefully you enjoyed it and it all was worth reading and yeah! i'm sorry, i had a hard time ending it, harry just kept kissing louis and ugh


End file.
